After freeing itself from the fabric, the feline begins playfully stalking its new pal ― who repeatedly leaps out of the way in what appears to develop into an impromptu game of tag.

“The cub is just playing with the otter in this video,” Dr. Paul Funston, senior lion program director for Panthera, the global wild cat conservation organization, told HuffPost. “Play reinforces both hunting and social skills and is an important part of development, especially in social species like the lion.”